Switch



Oct. 16, 1956 e. J-MUCHER 2,767,271

SWITCH Filed Aug. 27, 1954 INVENTOR fiaa giaffiarfler kne, Dela/bio;{/(wn:

ATTORNEYS United States Patent C SWITCH George J. Mucher, Rochester, N.IL, assignor to Clarostat lyfgifi Co., Inc., Dover, N. H., a corporationof New Application August 27, 1954, Serial No. 452,576

1 Claim. (Cl. 200-67) This invention relates to functional andstructural improvements in electrical switches and, particularly, toimprovements to facilitate the rapid assembly and production of suchdevice and to increase the utility thereof.

In my Patent No. 2,642,506, issued June 16, 1953, which is now thesubject of reissue application Serial No. 439,172, filed June 24, 1954,there is disclosed a doublepole, single throw electrical switch of aminiature type having a unique contact arm construction which isspecially adapted to carry relatively high current loads. Since itsintroduction to the commercial field this switch has been widely usedand accepted. In order to increase the utility and versatility of thisdevice it is provided herein with an improved contact arm arrangementwhereby the basic switch construction of the patent may be adapted tofunction as a single pole, single throw device and to carry heavierloads than were heretofore possible. In addition it is provided with animproved actuating mechanism whereby the manufacturing cost of thisdevice may be materially decreased.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an electricalswitch structure that occupies a minimum space and may be employed underrelatively high voltage and amperage conditions.

A further object is that of providing a switch mechanism that may bereadily combined with and conveniently operated by assemblies alreadyavailable on the market. Moreover, this device is readily capable ofmanufacture by quantity production methods and embodies relatively fewparts, each individually simple and rugged in construction; such partsbeing capable of ready assemblage and when so assembled furnish a sturdyswitch mechanism capable of operating over long periods of time withfreedom from operating difficulties.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the appended drawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the assembled switch mechanism, with coverremoved, showing the contact member in open position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of a combined limit stud and pivot member ofthe invention;

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the toggle switch actuating lever;

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of the contact member of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing the contact member in its closedposition.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the reference numeral 5 generally indicates acasing, the side walls of which are conveniently formed of metal, andthe base 6 of which is constructed of dielectric material. The latterhas extending from it terminals 7 for connection with electric leads.Conveniently a unit of this type may be disposed to the rear of anassembly which may include a variable resistance or similar device.Therefore, side walls 5 may be provided with suitable openings ortongues (not FF"; 1C6

shown) for the purpose of securing the casing in mounted position.Obviously, any other desired form of mounting structure may be employed.At the center of base 6 a pivot member 8 is secured. This memberrotatably supports a disc 9 which is also formed of dielectric material.Extending into the space existing between base 6 and disc 9 are a pairof fixed contacts 10 and 11 which we connected to the base and terminals7. The disc 9 is formed with one :pair of openings 12 which areconveniently circular and with a second pair of openings 13 which mayalso be of any convenient configuration. Such openings serving,respectively, a movement limiting devices and anchoring positions for asubstantially U-shaped contact member 14 (see also Fig. 5) whichcomprises two contact arm portions 14a and a connecting portion 14b.Conveniently, member 14 is formed of resilient material having arelatively high coefficient of conductivity, such as phosphor bronze,and is provided with upstanding por-' tions 15 that engage the edges ofopenings 13 and end portions 16 that engage the edges of openings 12. Inaddition, member 14 is preformed in a manner such that when assembled asindicated in the drawings, contact arm portions 14a exert spring tensioninwardly.

The width of portions 15 may be substantially equal to that of openings13. The width of portions 16 is less than that of openings 12 wherebythe ends of contact arm portions 14:: are free to move outwardly withinthe limits of openings 12. With the parts under spring tension itfollows that with portions 15 in openings 13 and portions 16 in openings12, member 14 is retained in position relative to disc 9. This is causedby the frictional engagement existing adjacent the ends of each of theaperture 13 and the fact that portions 16 bear against the inner edgesof openings 12. Therefore, member 14 is supported by and moves with disc9 as it rotates about pivot S. It should be noted that the particularformation of contact member 14 enables it to be made of much heavierstock than the corresponding contact member employed in theabove-mentioned patent while, at the same time, retaining the samerelative resiliency. Thus, the present device can safely carry muchheavier current loadings without change in the overall dimensions of theswitch mechanism.

In the arrangement shown, disc 9 is provided with a cut-out portion 17the edges of which serve as one part limiting movements of the disc. Adie-cast stud or pivot member 18 serves as the second part and issecured to base 6 in line with cut-out portion 17. It is provided with areduced portion 23 having bevelled shoulders 21 whereby the edges ofcut-out portion 17 are guided into contact with reduced portion 20. Bythis arrangement the rotational movement of disc 9 is limited to twoextreme positions, namely, a clockwise or open position, in whichcontact arm portions 14a are disengaged from contacts 1i and 11, asshown in Fig. 1, and a counter-clockwise or closed position in whichcontact anm portions 14a are engaged with contacts 10 and 11, as shownin Fig. 6. It may be noted that the coaction of contact member 14 withcontacts 19 and 11 results in a compound wiping action whereby all scarsor pittings caused by arcing are smoothed and burnished at each openingand closing of the switch.

In order to provide a snap action device to shift disc 9 to each of itsoperative posit-ions, a spring toggle mechanism is provided. To thisend, stud 18 is provided with a shaft-like extension or pivot member 22that serves to support an improved three-armed actuating lever rofdiecast construction that is generally designated by reference character23 (see also Fig. 4). Pivot member 22 is provided with a T-shaped endportion 24 that is formed to pass through a double keyhole slot 25 inlever 23 whereby the parts may quickly and expeditiously be assembledand,

when assembled, are maintained in operative relationship of lever 23coact with the sidewalls of; easing 5 to limit the extent of movement ofthe lever. The upper arm 28 0f lever 23 is provided with a hole thatserves to anchor one end of a V-shaped expansion spring 29 which has itsother end anchored in a slottedyoke member Seth-at bears against theouter face of disc 9 and fits into a groove formed in pivot member 8 toprevent axial move ment of the disc relative to the pivot member. as anintegral part of lever 23 is the edge of a cut-out portion 23:: whichmay be engaged by an arm or finger (not shown) whereby the lever maydeliberately b'e oscillat ed about pivot 22. h

The provision of the specific arrangement of. actuating lever 23 andpivot member 22 shown herein constitutes a noteworthy advance over thecorresponding arrangement shown in the above-mentioned patent and overthose heretofore widely used in similar structures of this type. In theprior art devices it was customary to assemble a combination of elementshaving a function comparable to the present actuating lever 23 ion aconventional stud, and to hold the parts in their proper relationshipwhile the end ofthe stud was peened over to secure the parts inassembled position. This practice was exceedingly costly not only fromthe standpoint of the labor involved in the assembly operation, but alsofrom the fact that the peening operation frequently caused breakage ormisalignment of one or more of the parts, thereby necessitating thescrapping of substantially the entire switch assembly.

F By means of the present arrangement, actuating lever 23 may readily beslipped onto pivot member 22 by aligning double keyhole slot 25 with theT-shaped head 24 of the lever before the disc assembly is inserted incasing 5. The head of the lever is then twisted slightly to engage face26 with the underside of T-shaped head 24 and the entire assembly isslipped into casing 5, whereby the several parts are locked againstaxial movement. However, lever 23 is free for oscillating movement aboutpivot member 22 within the operational confines permitted by theccaction of lever arms 27 and the sidewalls of casing 5.

of break-age, distortion or misalignment of the several elements issubstantially eliminated thereby further reducing manufacturing costsand increasing the reliability and effectiveness of the resultingproduct. p In operation it is assumed that the casing of the switch issuitably mounted and its terminals connected to electrical leads.Moreover, it is assumed that an operating part extends adjacent thecut-out portion 23a of lever 23, and is capable of being manually orotherwise shifted to actuate the lever. a

If now lever 23 is rocked about .pivot 22 in a clockwise direction as inFigs. 1 and 6, spring 29, which is connected to the lever, functions inthe manner disclosed in the above-mentioned patent to provide the toggleaction required to shift the parts to one or the other extremepositions. Briefly, the spring is compressed as the parts move becauseof the diminishing distance occurring beilween the point of connectionof the spring and lever Formed in a counter-clockwise direction.

4 7 arm 28 and the point of connection between the spring and retainer30. When the former connection passes beyond the axis of pivot 8, thespring exerts a force against retainer 36 and disc 9 such that it shiftsthe latter It is, of course, appreciated that the swing of. the leveroccurs during a very brief interval. Therefore, the spring quickly movesthrough its dead-center position and exerts thrust in the manneraforedescribed.

In any event, with 'such thrust exerted and disc 9 moving in acounter-clockwise direction, spring contact 10 and 11. This has beenshown in Fig; 6. Also, as

shown in this view, the arm portions 14a, as they are engaged by thefixed contacts, cam and wipe over the surfaces of the latter. Thisoccurs because of the fact that end portions 16 have less width than thediameter of openings 12. Therefore, these end portions assume final;positions as shown in Fig. 6. Due to'the resilient nature of the contactarm portions, they also function as shock absorbers to cushion the partsagainst shock as they reach their final positions.

Obviously, a return movement of the .parts from the positions shown inFig. 6, to those illustrated in Pig. 1 is achieved by simply rockinglever 23 in a counter-clockwise direction. shifted past dead-centerposition. Therefore, thrust is exerted by the spring against disc 9,resulting in the latter being rapidly shifted in a clockwise direction.these circumstances, contact arm portions 14a no longer bridge contacts10 and 11 and the circuit is again open.

Thus, among others, the several obfects of the invention, asspecifically aforenoted, are achieved. Obviously, numerous changesinconstruction and rearrangements of the parts might be resorted towithout depart-ingfrom the V 'a housing therefor, a pair of spacedcontacts mounted by and extending upwardly from said base member, adiscmember pivotly supported on said base for oscillation, spaced contactscarried by one of said members, a contact-bridging element carried bythe other of said members to electrically close the gap between saidcontacts, an actuating lever mounted on said base member operativelyconnected to said disc to move the latter and connect and disconnectsaid contacts, a pivot stud carried by said base at a point to one sideof the point of pivotal support of said disc and a quick-attachablecoupling constituted by "a T-shaped end of said stud, a keyhole slotdefined in said lever cooperably engaged by said T end and wing portionsat edges of said lever which are of :sufiicient length to bear againstan internal wall of said housing to limit the pivotal range of saidlever and slot whereby the slot is prevented from disengagement with theT end in assembled condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,488,452 Leppert Mar. 25, 1924 1 1,564,016 Perkins Dec. 1, 19251,603,523 Douglas Oct. 19,1926 2,235,366 Haselwood Mar. 18, 19412,286,162 Sch'ellenger June 9, 1942 2,286,163 Schellenger June 9, 19422,304,479 Schellengcr Dec. 8, 1942 2,642,506 Mucher June 16, 1953 Again,spring 29 is compressed and Under

